Missouri’s complicated and disconnected educator retirement systems create staffing challenges, particularly for urban school districts. Reducing unnecessary complexity and making plans more mobile could help the state’s urban districts see greater success in recruiting and retaining effective teachers and leaders, according to a research report released today by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Many an entrepreneur has struggled to balance the needs of the business and the needs of family. Concerns over time away from home, the allocation of financial resources and which spouse is responsible for what can put families under tremendous pressure as entrepreneurs grapple with the uncertainties, challenges, and ups and downs of entrepreneurial ventures.

The Kauffman Foundation today released a policy brief and video highlighting ideas to spur entrepreneurial growth that a panel of policy leaders presented at the Foundation’s 2014 State of Entrepreneurship Address held last week in Washington, D.C. In addition, a video of Kauffman President and CEO Tom McDonnell presenting the Foundation’s address is available.

Buoyed by belief in an improving economy, the nation’s newest business owners’ confidence leapt in the fourth-quarter 2013 Kauffman/LegalZoom Startup Confidence Index. The survey data, released today by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and LegalZoom, showed that 91 percent of these entrepreneurs were confident or very confident that their companies’ profitability would increase in the next 12 months. The result was a stunning jump of 5 percentage points over the third-quarter survey, and an all-time high for the study, which debuted in first quarter 2012.

While the nation’s economy has seen significant overall improvement since the end of the Great Recession, economic indicators continue to paint a mixed picture, and several long-term challenges loom over the future. The Kauffman Foundation today addressed these challenges, which include a falling rate of new business creation, at its fifth annual State of Entrepreneurship Address. The event, held at the National Press Club in Washington, featured remarks from Kauffman President and CEO Tom McDonnell.

As happens every month, economic commentators are arguing over the latest U.S. jobs report showing weak growth. For the future of economic growth, however, more fundamental issues matter. A new white paper from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation shows sustained declines in business dynamism across a wide swath of the U.S. economy, including the high-tech sector that has been critical for sparking economic growth in recent decades.

Despite an economic recovery that finally has been gaining steam, there is a need for new sources of economic growth in the United States, particularly entrepreneurial growth. The Kauffman Foundation will address the challenges and opportunities to advance this growth at its fifth annual State of Entrepreneurship Address on Feb. 12, 2014, from noon to 2 p.m. EST at the National Press Club in Washington streamed live at www.kauffman.org/SOE2014.

A hot topic in startup circles – online crowdfunding – is the focus of the newest installment of the Kauffman Sketchbook video series released today by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In the segment, Slava Rubin, founder and chief executive of Indiegogo, offers practical, proven advice for running a successful online crowdfunding campaign. Rubin founded the San Francisco-based fundraising site in 2008 and has grown it into one of the largest global crowdfunding platforms.

In three cities likely in need of steaming hot coffee on cold January mornings, 1 Million Cups™ is now serving up entrepreneurial education and facilitating collaboration among entrepreneurs in Fargo, N.D., Fort Collins, Colo., and Provo, Utah. The cities are the first additions to the 1 Million Cups’ map for 2014, and many more are expected throughout the year.

A Kauffman Foundation report being released today highlights the impact of education on rates of business startups and growth in metropolitan areas, while disputing the impact of certain factors that previously have been touted for their influence.

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